Mesdames et Messieurs…ze Sticky Bun

Now that’s a breakfast I can really get behind. Sadly, I awoke too early and was a bit too bleary to remember to take a picture of what the sticky buns looked like when they were fully proofed and ready for baking. Suffice to say they were extremely soft and poofy (the dough felt almost cloud-like when poked with an oiled fingertip) and they just about covered all the topping (which, you know, is on the bottom at this point). Total proofing time out of the fridge: 2 hours, though it’s taken as long as 2 1/2 in the past.

Here’s what they look like when they’re done baking. Again forgive the light, my kitchen isn’t ideal for photography:

Just a couple of minutes later and they’re ready to turn out. Loosen the sides with an icing spatula, and upend the whole mess onto a platter or plastic board like so:

At this point the topping is still hot enough that any that sticks to the baking pan can simply be scraped off and applied to the tops. These are very nice hot or warm. Though I must say that left to cool for a few hours they’re even better, since the chocolate sets up into a semi-firm texture that’s to die for.